Page 10A
Wednesday, October 30, 1996
Bird's EyeView
istory
Halloween
By Spencer Duncan
From Celtic sacrifices to walking the streets for candy to dressing up as your favorite DEA official, Halloween traditions have had a colorful history in Lawrence and around the world.
On a cold winter night 2,000 years ago, the Halloween tradition began in present-day Ireland. Great Britain and northern France.
Ireland
The Celts gathered together on Oct. 31 to celebrate the Celtic festival of Samhain, the Celtic lord of death.
They honored Samhain and the beginning of the season of darkness, cold and decay.
The Celts believed Samhain allowed the souls of the dead to return to their earthly homes for the evening.
On the eve of the festival, the Druids, who were the Celts' priests and teachers, ordered the Celts to build a huge bonfire. They fed the fire with animals, crops and, according to some legends, human sacrifices.
when the Romans conquered the
During the burnings, many Celts dressed in costumes of animal heads and skins. They told fortunes of the coming year by examining the carcasses of sacrificed animals.
Celts, this custom survived. And when the Celts converted to Christianity, the day was changed to All Saints' Day
An 11-year-old's guts hang from his belly. He shrieks a cry of pain.
Lawrence
A 12-year-old points a gun at the children marching in front of him.
The children look over their shoulders and, raising their arms, wave to Mom and Dad.
These used to be the sights when elementary school Hallowen parades marched through neighborhoods. But
gory elementary-school children spiriting down the streets are quickly becoming ghostly memories.
Alvin Merz, a Topeka junior, remembered Halloween in elementary school.
"I thought that was a lot of fun," Merz said. "It was a day of having fun and just getting to dress up. That was a great time."
But the gore and blood that used to be Halloween traditions are being eradicated by school officials.
Larry Bakerink, principal of Broken Arrow Elementary School, 2704 Louisiana St., said today's Halloween costumes are restricted.
"We send a letter to the parents telling them the types of costumes that we think are and are not appropriate," Bakerink said.
Today's restrictions include: very little fake blood, no swords, knives, guns or any other fake or real weapons. There also can be nothing deemed too offensive.
"We have a fall party, but not really one that celebrates Halloween," said Bakerink.
Some schools will have Halloween parties. Others will have what they call fall parties.
Myron Melton, principal of Centennial Elementary School, 2145 Louisiana St., has been working in elementary schools for 13 years. He has seen Halloween celebrations change dramatically.
"When I started, it was pretty much the norm to have Halloween parties," Melton said. "But that has changed."
Many of the changes in schools' Halloween celebrations can be attributed to one thing.
"There have been some parental concerns about celebrating a holiday that is somewhat controversial," Melton said. "Some parents have problems with Halloween."
Many early American settlers came from England and other Celtic regions. But because of strict religious
beliefs during early American settlement, Halloween did not become popular until the
America
1800s. During that period, large numbers of immigrants arrived from Ireland and Scotland, bringing their Halloween customs with them. Halloween in America began to evolve into what it is today.
University of Kansas
Halloween isn't just for little children. College kids can play too.
"I am going to this party as a vampire," Smith said. "Dressing up and partying on Halloween is what you are supposed to do."
Barbara Smith, Lawrence junior, loves Halloween. On Thursday she will be dressed to kill. Literally.
"I may buy a bag of candy just in case, but I don't think that too many people are going to come," Merz said. "I don't think many people do that anymore."
While students like Smith will be partying, Merz said he will treat Halloween like any other day. He may, however, put some candy by his apartment door in case of any trick-or-treaters.
But going door-to-door is the Halloween highlight for Eric Price, Olathe sophomore.
"If you trick or-treating, then you get free candy. I love free candy," Price said. "I don't know yet, but I think me and my friends may go out trick-or-treating this year."
Lawrence night life
WEDNESDAY
rumdrum & The Cat, 8 p.m. at the Full Moon Cafe, 803 Massachusetts St.
Free.
Better Than Ezra, Satchel and James Hall, 9.p.m. at the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St. Cost: $12.50 advance tickets.
Darden Smith & Boo Hewerdine, 8 p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost:$7.
Pusherman, 10 p.m. at the Bottleneck,
732 New Hampshire St. Cost:$1.
THURSDAY
The Drovers with Lulaby for the Working Class, 10 p.m. at The Jazhaus of Lawrence, 926 1/2 Massachusetts St.
Cost: $3.
Louis Moon Dance, 9 p.m. at the Full Moon Cafe, 803 Massachusetts St. Free.
Kevin Cloud, 8 p.m. at Bambino's Italian Cafe, 1801 Massachusetts St. Free
Billy Goat, Danger Bob and Beef Jerky, 9:30 p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $6.
Bastard Squad, 10 p.m. at The Jazzzhaus of Lawrence, 926 1/2 Massachusetts St. Cost: $4.
FRIDAY
Bopularity, 10 p.m. at the Full Moon
Bovea. 803 Massachusetts St. Free.
Bouncing Souls, 7 p.m. at the Bottleneck 737 New Hamshire St. Cost: $6.
Common Ground, 10 p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $4.
Bastard Squad, 10 p.m. at The Jazzhaus of Lawrence, 926 1/2 Massachusetts St. Cost: $4.
SATURDAY
Chris Hanson, 10 p.m. at the Full Moon
803. Massachusetts St. Free.
Dana Cooper at The Coffeehouse at
Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204
Oread Ave. Cost: $5 students, $8
general public.
Justin Case, 10 p.m. at the Granada,
1020 Massachusetts St. Cost: $5 and
$6
Hellcat Trio and Creek Bank Ghetto Boys, 10 p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost.$4.
The Bel Airs, 10 p.m. at The Jazzhaus of Lawrence, 926 1/2 Massachusetts St. Cost:$4.
MONDAY
Open Mic, 9 p.m. at the Bottleneck,
737 New Hampshire St. Cost: Free for
21 and up, and $2 for 18-21 year olds.
TUESDAY
Open Mic, 8 p.m. at the Full Moon
Cafe. 803 Massachusetts St. Free.
Blues Revee Three: Toys for Tots Benefit concert, 7 p.m. at Liberty Hall, 642 Massachusetts St. Cost: $7 advance tickets, $8 at the door.
Critical Volume
Music reviews by Robert Moczydlowsky
rmoczudk@falcon.cc.ukans.edu.
In the increasingly radio dominated world of alternative music, bands with truly unique sounds and styles are being squeezed out.
What started as a musical movement designed to include as many new sounds and bands as possible, alternative music has now become the same tired mainstream category it originally rebelled against.
Perfect examples of this full circle evolution are bands like Bush and Better Than Ezra. These bands have enjoyed huge radio success, though their sounds are completely derivative of other "alternative" bands before them.
Of course, there are a lot of people who disagree with that. They're the same people who paid 12 bucks to see Better Than Ezra tonight at the Granada. And they're the same people who will ignore opening band Satchel.
That's too bad, because Satchel might be the best band to come through Lawrence the most of this year.
In recent interviews by phone and at the Oct. 26 show at the Ogden Theatre in Denver, Satchel drummer Regan Hagar talked about his band's role in the current Seattle music scene and its lack of nationwide attention, and about about the long road on tour with Better Than Ezra.
A: Well, we definitely don't sell as many records as Pearl Jam (laughs). And as far as
Epic Records. How do you deal with that?
Q: As close friends of Pearl Jam and others in the Seattle scene, you guys have an awful lot of "alternative" credibility. At the same time, I imagine you're still a pretty small priority for
our relationship with Epic Records goes, we haven't been making them any money. On one hand, we know that if our relationship with Epic ended, we've had enough success with critics and in certain places that another label would probably want us. But we don't want that. We would like to stay where we are; it gives us a lot of freedom.
Q: You are in the band Brad with current Satchel singer/kboardist Shawn Smith, Jeremy Toback and Stone Gossard. The last Brad record, entitled Shame, became kind of an underground hit. Now Stone produces your albums. How do you guys keep all of these things
straight?
A: It's just a really creative partnership. Shawn and I write a lot of s on gs together, and we are always looking for friends of ours to make music with.
In fact, when we get home from this tour we're going to make another Brad record. And actually, we've been playing some Brad songs in our sets lately. On the West Coast and in Arizona, we have a pretty good number of fans who will come to see our shows on two different nights. So
In fact, when we get home
Q: Touring with Better Than Ezra doesn't exactly sound like the best way to get people to listen to your band. Does the big difference in sounds pose a problem? At the show in Denver I saw three girls leaned against the front of the stage with their backs to you.
A: Yeah, Denver wasn't exactly the best show of the tour. In fact, that was one of the worst shows. As the tour as gets farther and farther east, the Better Than Ezra crowds keep getting smaller and smaller. If this keeps up there won't be anybody to see us by the end of the tour. I feel bad for the guys in Better In Than Ezra, because they really are great guys. It's just so tough to be a radio band these days. If they didn't have their hit song, it would be easier. And they really play some great covers. I think their crowd doesn't really expect too much from us, they'd just rather we finish up and get off the stage. We haven't been booed, though. In cities where they don't know us, we might play more of our slow stuff. Of course, we did that in Arizona and they responded a lot better to our harder, more guitar-edged stuff. We really never know what to expect.
we are always changing the set so that we don't play the same songs routinely. Once we get further east, especially in the Midwest, we're more likely to play one tried and tested set in places where they don't know our music.
his week Robert talks to Satchel drummer Regan Hagar about his role in the band and also about Pusherman's new album. Floored.
Q: If the new record does take off, how will you guys react? I know a lot of people who won't be happy to see your band on MTV.
Pusherman never a met a guitar solo or rhythm break it didn't like. Their debut album, entitled *Floored* and produced by Oasis collaborator Owen Morris, runs for about 45 minutes before there is even a one second of silence. As far as albums go, this is
Satchel plays tonight at the Granada with James Hall and Better Than Ezra. Call the Granada box office for ticket information.
A: Yeah, we get a lot of letters from people who say things like "You're my favorite band, and I never play your records for other people," like it's some kind of personal thing. That's flattering, but I think if we were asked to make a video we would probably try it, just to see what would happen. If it got to where we thought it would ruin us, we'd stop. Like Pearl Jam. They thought that their videos were ruining them, so they stopped making them. Of course, there's a difference when they play it every five minutes. We really don't have that problem yet, and we ever do, I'm sure we'll sit down and talk about it first. But we would like get to a point where we can continue to make records.
Pusherman Floored (Epic Records). Hailing from the same London club scene that brought us Blur and the London Suede, Pusherman is a free-form guitar band that makes the long-playing Stone Roses sound like a two-minute-a-song pop band.
But as risky as this jam-style approach is in the recording studio, so is it absolutely fantastic for a live show. Most audiences have to hear the Pusherman record, so the band will have to out together a well-flowing set to ease listeners in. When the audience doesn't know your songs, this elongated jam through several songs and melodies is a great way to go.
If seeing new bands is your thing, Lawrence offers a rare opportunity to see a whole list of incredible bands tonight – but you'll have to be crafty to pull it off.
Start your night at the Granada, where you'll see Satchel and the amazing trumpet and harmonica sounds of James Hall. Then, before Better than Era hits the stage, dash out for the Bottleneck. You'll see the end of the opening set from local up-and-comers One Inch in the Way, and then Pusherman and their guitar sonics. That's a lot of rock for one night, but trust me – it's worth seeing.
Just don't use me as an excuse when you're late to class Thursday morning.
a challenging listen.
Pusherman, Overall, out of ten: 7.
Want to hear the music from these reviews? Visit the Critical Volume website at:
http://www.knox.com/rdical/
http://www.kansan.com/critical/
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